The captain saw nothing strange in their lack of servants.

The doctor and her friend were to him a pair of women of extraordinary customs, and so he thought all their acts were logical and natural.

Freya served the tea with modest grace as though she were the daughter of the house.
They passed the rest of the afternoon conversing on distant voyages.
Nobody alluded to the war, nor to Italy's problem at that moment as to whether she should maintain or break her neutrality.

They appeared to be living in an inaccessible place thousands of leagues from all human bustle.
The two women were treating the count with the well-bred familiarity of persons in the same rank of life, but at times the sailor fancied that he noted that they were afraid of him.
At the end of the afternoon this personage arose and Ferragut did the same, understanding that he was expected to bring his visit to an end.
The count offered to accompany him.

While he was bidding the doctor good-by, thanking her with extreme courtesy for having introduced him to the captain, Ferragut felt that Freya was clasping his hand in a meaning way.
"Until to-night," she murmured lightly, hardly moving her lips.